To get a new perspective of the world, take a map and turn it upside down and then look at the countries and their relation to each other.

Back in 1980, the US tried to rescue hostages in Iran and failed, the logistics and distances were just too overwhelming. The folks running the DoD
and military remember that series of events...so in 2001-2002, we had an opportunity to establish a semi permanant base of operations...forward
staging areas to address future threats to the US and allies.... Iran, China, a re-emerging Russia, a possible conflict between India-Pakistan, to
protect the flow of oil, if we break ties with Israel...looks like it...we need to replace their locatuion...thus Iraq...also, Afghanistan.

Look at Afghanistan's location in relation to China... blocks their move into SW Asia...also, now China has 3+ fronts to confront US...Japan, Korea,
Afghanistan...and a naval element.

To contain Russia and its influence, we can easily launch into Iran on 2 fronts, into Syria from Iraq and Israel, and not to mention add counter
pressure to ther little -akisatn Muslim countries along Russia's southern border.

Plus, if we anticipate the continuing lean of Turkey back to it's Muslim roots and away from the west, Iraq is a good choice again to replace the
assets lost.

Strategically located in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan are good choices to make a definite impact on one of the most turbulent areas in the world for
the foreseeable future.

Of course, this premise is based on a paradigm that in reality, may not exist...but only be percieved. If you throw in UFOs, the Apocolypse, 2012,
NWO...all bets are off.

Everyday, I see more and more construction as my time here grows short. I made a thread about this some time ago but there is even more construction
going on in the the streets. New roads are being built as well as schools and hospitals. Some even look nicer then the ones in the slums of the
states.

You all make good points, let me add this, from a post of mine, to the mix.

Originally posted by LeeTheDestroyer
The United States of America is going down. For the last century we have bled our nation dry in order to aid countries both for our benefit and in the
name of democratic monopolization. Yet as we give and take from the world, internally everything has been seized and taken away so that soon there
will be nothing left, there will be no country left.

This nation fights wars, invades countries, and generally tends to make a mess of things in the name of capitalism, profit, and prosperity for
everyone, so long as it fills the wallet. We cannot be expected to survive this way forever. As tyranny grips nations abroad, naturally we intend to
destroy such tyranny, yet at the same time tyranny has taken root within our own country, living and thriving in broad daylight, hiding under the
banner of the “amended constitution”. There is nothing that we can do, our system of living will always lead to this, will always compel us to
aid, and at the same time ignore our own blemishes, and until eventually they become one in the same.

We are a broken country that needs refreshment, needs to leave the world alone and regain our own health, needs to fix our own problems, and needs to
stop worrying about global power, money, and national influence. But how can that happen? It can’t. Not now that we have tasted the fruit of
outsourced labor, international trade, exploitation of natural resources abroad. When we strip the land of another nation, it is not our problem; it
is swept under the rug known as the media. How hard is it to change when our consumerism is so easily tolerated by a world that cannot push us into
submission?

We cannot change, we will not go quietly, and this country will go down in flames before we have to give up this lifestyle that we have gained. Yet
the world acts like it is the individual fault of every member of this country. Let me tell you this here now. Most people just want to be left alone
to pursue their own wishes. We do not want to make hard decisions, we do not want to exploit other nations, but guess what, it happens. Somewhere down
the line, someone has to make the hard choices, someone has to take action, and someone has to take the blame. Otherwise this lifestyle could not
exist, it could not sustain itself.

What do you expect? What empire on earth has ever peacefully fluttered out? The United Kingdom cannot judge us for hanging onto this crazy ideal, for
they do the same to this day. They know what it is like, what globalization feels like, and they know how hard the fall is. That empire is all but
gone, and yes, it went down in flames, flames that are still burning to this day. How could one assume that ours will not do the same in due time?
There is no alternative, there is no escape. The American empire is doomed, just the same as every empire that came before it was also doomed from the
beginning.

'Cos Iraq is placed over the remains of Sumer, the ancient empire raised by bearded giant humanoid aliens that used watches in their wrists,
half-millions years ago???

In my last deployment close to Mosul, I remember going to the remains of an ancient temple of Hatra. It was well preserved and still gets visited by
both soldiers and Iraqis alike. Truly astounding to go inside.

Very interesting replies so far. Personally I do not belief in the strategic arguments.

To be near China, Russia and other strategic countries to defend our beliefs and way of life. Out dated and useless in this day of stealth and WMD's.
Great argument to fool the masses tho.

Fighting a war against 'a hand full' of people living in caves with the most advanced weapons and electronic technology and still it takes longer
without significant results to win than it took to liberate Europe in WW II?

If you ask me there are terrible and incompetent generals at work or something else is going on. And I really would like to know what that can be.

Maybe it is just a money maker for the weapon industry. American mult-biljonairs selling their weapons to the US army, who drain the american tax
payers for it. Same procedure for the tax payers of the allied tax-payers.

If it isn't that scam my second bet first is that TPTB are looking for something or are trying to delay their stay waiting for something to happen
overthere.

Ofcourse I can be wrong and is it all because nobody really knows why we are still there, including all the generals and all the governments of the
allies. The latter are just following the US like chickens without a head.

get your hands on the Grand Chessboard by that "fruitcake" Zignew Brazinski >? Carters Security Advisor me thinks... anyway,
I hear the book sort of sucked, poorly written and scarier than hell.
I give this conspiracy 5 out of 5 stars...

We invaded Iraq because we were looking for WMDs. That was the real reason given to us, it was flawed obviously but it was real.

I think we are still there because of Israel.

Our politicians and government have deep seated roots with Israel, who gets us to protect them. Iran is now Israel's main enemy. Any missile or air
attack launched from Iran would be intercepted by our missile defense systems in Iraq.

Also, what if Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, and Jordan took note of the formation of the E.U. and got their
acts together to create a Middle Eastern Union. Their main goals would probably be to protect Islam and obliterate Israel at all costs.

So by invading Iraq and Afghanistan it provided our military adequate bases in optimal striking range of Iran, Russia, and China, protected Israel,
and kept the Islamic nations from creating a Middle Eastern Union.

Originally posted by AlreadyGone
To get a new perspective of the world, take a map and turn it upside down and then look at the countries and their relation to each other.

Don't forget that Saddam was also trying to persuade OPEC to dump the US dollar for oil. He threatened to refuse dollars for oil, so yeah, some
excuse had to be COOKED UP to go in there and kick his ass. The nerve of them people over there, thinking that is their oil.

What a quagemire, eh? We're being invaded by illegal humans while we ourselves illegally invade other lands .. and with our military too ... all
because of LIE.

Do you remember when Bush gave Saddam that final 48 hour warning about turning over those invisible weapons of mass destruction? Bush came on TV that
day to give that 48 hour warning himself. Do you recall the date of that warning? I do. March 17. 3-17. Write 317 on a piece of paper and turn
THAT upside down and see what it says.

The war started over a lie. 48 hours after that lie, the bombing began.

The Iraq war was over oil and dollars. The americans have killed innocent women and babies to save their dollar and to keep their crappy overpriced
cars running on cheap gas. Bad karma has come to America now because of this. Big BIG bad karma. Everyone should be feeling it by now. And it
feels like doom, doesn't it.

Corporatist endeavors whose sole intent is the privatization of all industry within the region and the monopolization of all major resources.

Nothing more, nothing less.

All the side effects of this ultimate goal are purposely used in order to force the nation into submission so that foreign powers can manipulate their
business interests. Constant terror, constant state of fear, pillaging of their culture, destruction of public necessities... systematic tools used
for subversion to help corporatist enterprise flourish in the region.

Well that does seem like a conundrum. I believe the evidence of any war is enough to persuade one think that that the leaders of the governments of
this world are not a civilized society of true ruling class that really care's about their citizenry.

It is more like a group of spoiled little rich kids always wanting what the other spoiled little rich kids have. They do not behave as the normally
raised kid that has to be good or they get in trouble. Once the masses realize that they are the masses change will come. It has been that way
throughout history.

Once people decide they need a friend instead of a leader things will be better. I know I would rather be around a friend rather than an employer,
unless the employer was a friend also.

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